Washington has made the long-awaited move by imposing sanctions on Turkish Defense Industry SSB over the purchase and acquisition of Russian S-400 anti-missile systems, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Monday.
Washington’s decision was considered last week, according to a Reuters telegram, and the punitive measures were included in the US defense budget act, which was passed by an overwhelming majority in the US Congress.
“Today’s action sends a clear signal that the United States […] will not tolerate significant transactions with Russia’s defense and intelligence sectors,” he said in a statement.
The purchase of the Russian S-400 system from Turkey would endanger the security of U.S. military technology and personnel, Mike Pompeo added.
He also urged Turkey to resolve the S-400 problem immediately in coordination with the United States, calling Ankara a valued ally and an important regional security partner.
Washington’s move is expected to infuriate Ankara and potentially hurt the Turkish economy, which is already plagued by COVID-19 pandemic.
The US sanctions, posted on the US Treasury Department’s website, include asset freezing and visa restrictions on SSB President Ismail Demir and three other Turkish employees.
These sanctions also include a ban on US prohibition on granting specific U.S. export licenses and authorizations to SSB.
Greece welcomes US sanctions against two Turkish ministries
Greece welcomed US sanctions against two ministries and three officials of Turkey on Monday.
According to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, it took action in response to Turkey’s military operations in Syria against Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, as well as the Minister of National Defence, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and the Minister of the Interior.”
In a statement, the Greek Foreign Affairs Ministry said, “Greece, a member-state of NATO, is observing with satisfaction today’s announcement of the US Department of Treasury related to sanctions against the Turkish Republic’s Directorate of Defense Industry, the directorate’s president, as well as other officials, in application of Section 231 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).”
Reactions fro Turkey and Russia
Turkey has condemned US sanctions over the purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems as a “grave mistake” and stated that it would retaliate after repeatedly calling on Washington to resolve the issue through dialogue and diplomacy.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry described the US sanctions as “unexplained” after Washington, as Ankara stressed, repeatedly rejected Ankara’s offer to set up a joint working group.
The Turkish Foreign Minister called on its NATO ally to reconsider the “unfair” decision that will damage bilateral relations.
Ahead of the announcement of the sanctions, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said neither sanctions by the United States nor by the European Union would prevent Turkey from defending its rights.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that US sanctions against Turkey over the purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems were illegal and showed arrogance towards international law, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.
Source: ANA-MPA